astronomer

[ uh-stron-uh-mer ]

noun

1. an expert in astronomy; a scientific observer of the celestial bodies.

Word History and Origins

Origin of astronomer¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English; astronomy, -er ¹

Example Sentences

It’s the first time astronomers had identified an exploding magnetar in another galaxy.

From Science News For Students

Each year, astronomers discover nova explosions in the Milky Way that cause dim stars to flare up and emit far more light than the sun before they fade again.

From Science News

Confirming the planet’s existence should not be too hard—astronomers simply have to observe the object again and see if its new position corresponds with an orbit.

From MIT Technology Review

A highlight of the five-day event is the Cadillac Mountain Star Party, with rangers and astronomers acting as travel guides to the sky.

From Outside Online

Both buck the trend astronomers expected from theories of how planetary systems form.

From Science News

“A lot of the critical details in the plot were a mishmash of ideas that made no sense,” astronomer Phil Plait wrote at Slate.

From The Daily Beast

The new Research Institute set features an all-female cast: a paleontologist, astronomer, and chemist.

From The Daily Beast

In 1859, astronomer Richard Carrington observed a strong solar flare that was directed at the Earth.

From The Daily Beast

Calvin astronomer Howard Van Till was for years the leading evangelical champion of the Big Bang Theory.

From The Daily Beast

Edward Hubble, the greatest astronomer of the 20th century, who discovered the expanding universe, he was inspired by Jules Verne.

From The Daily Beast

The crest-fallen astronomer plodded on his weary way, another example of a fool and his money soon parted.

From Project Gutenberg

His birth might also be remembered as occurring in the same year as that of the great astronomer Galileo.

From Project Gutenberg

Let us suppose that the Astronomer Royal claimed infallibility, not only in matters astronomical, but also in politics and morals.

From Project Gutenberg

The modern astronomer needs to know much of chemistry, or else he can not understand many of his observations on the sun.

From Project Gutenberg

On the way homewards, we visited the observatory of the famous astronomer, Dey Singh.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• astrophysicist
• cosmologist